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Thursday, December 13, 2007

...are killing my feet. Really. I didn't pack the best "walking in the city shoes" and my feet huuuurt tonight. But it's SO worth it because this city is really awesome! To those of you who wrote and said, "Ask any New Yorker for directions and they'll be happy to give them to you," thank you! You were absolutely right! They were happy to give us directions and like you said, they argued over the best way to get there! LOL!

It rained pretty much all day, but there wasn't any snow in the city. I hear outlying areas got quite a bit though. The weather cleared up this evening however, and it was absolutely beautiful here! I think I nearly made Janet, my poor agent, freeze her warm Californian blood as I forced her to stop again and again so I could take pictures of buildings. I took a lot of pictures of buildings! The thing is - I don't know what any of them are because I didn't have a tour guide. Sooo, to my very proud New York readers, I'm asking you to write and identify any of these pictures for me. Thank you!

I had a totally amazing day! I feel like all I did today was eat! So, I guess all the walking was a good thing. :) I had breakfast with my agent and the vice president. In my ultra smooth, suave fashion, I hit myself in the noggin and left a lovely red mark across my forehead during breakfast. I had to make an impression somehow, right?

Then I went to the Guideposts office and had a meeting with with the editor-in-chief of Guideposts magazine, Edward and a lovely woman, Celeste, who had seen me on ABC News before the book deal even came about.

Hmmm, let's see. I think this is when I went to a great fondue restaurant for lunch. Mmmmm, two of my favorite food groups - cheese and chocolate!

After lunch, I spoke with Beth, my editor. This girl is wonderful, witty, sharp, and boy, will she have her work cut out for her when I give her my manuscript next month!

Next I had a conference call with Jennifer in TN who will be working on marketing my book. When we hung up she was "going to fetch her daughter". Hee hee - I love those southern accents! Oh speaking of accents! When I ordered my pizza last night, the guy looked at me like I was strange when I asked for a can of "pop". I forgot it's called soda here. Then he asked me, "Do you want a fork and knife?" I was shocked and taken completely aback because it sounded like he said something entirely different with his New York accent! Say it aloud to yourself a couple times.

Finally, we wrapped things up with Jonathan, who's taking a chance on me. "New author, almost missed her plane, smacked herself in the head, diaper changing, ordinary" me. He really seems to believe in my book. I'm thrilled to no end about these wonderful opportunities and I'm so happy and excited to be working with a great team of people at Guideposts! (and I'm not just saying that because I know they read my blog!)

Oh yeah - did I mention that we did a lot of talking about this guy for some reason? ROFL ;) After we went back to our rooms to rest and freshen up a bit, Janet and I headed over to Grand Central Station for drinks. I mean the real Grand Central Station and not my house, which I oftentimes call Grand Central Station. What an awesome building!

I told my kids, "I went to Grand Central Station."They said, "Where???""Remember where the giraffe got his head stuck in the clock and the old lady beat Alex the lion with her purse?"light dawns "Oh yeeeaaaahhh! Cool! Did you take pictures?"(For those of you who don't know - this is from the animated movie Madagascar. For those of you who did know what I was talking about - you, like me, watch too much kid TV!)

They brought us cookies there. I love that place! COOKIES!

We then walked over to Rockefeller Center and went ice skating. Ok, so we didn't really skate, but we watched skaters and had dinner at a restaurant right across the street. They brought us cookies. Yes, more COOKIES! I love New York!

After that we walked back to our hotel while I took dozens of pictures like the goofy tourist I am!

Enjoy the pictures and pretend like you are here!

The magnificent ceiling at Grand Central Station

Grand Central

I guess you can't really see it, but a Christmas scene was projected onto the walls and ceiling

Clock in Grand Central Station

My favorite - the Chrysler Building

A giant thing of pennies. Anyone know what these are for?

A breathtakingly beautiful church. Someone said it was St. Patrick's?

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller

Rockefeller

Rockefeller

Rockefeller

A store window - I forgot where

Store window at The American Girl store

Garbage. It amazed me how much garbage I saw sitting on the streets. I guess there's nowhere else to put it and with a gazillion people in the city, it really adds up.

78 comments:

The church is St. Patrick's Cathedral. The pennies were money collected by NYC school children for charity. It's over $1 million dollars of pennies. They wanted to give even the poorest children the chance to give.

hi there..sounds like ur having a blast..i wish i could come with..anywho..the pennies is for a charity..and it was collected by tons of children from across america..it's for an organization called "Making Sense" or something like that..they were on the today show..here's the link for it..

Thank you so much for sharing your pics, I like many of the others are living through you here, as I have no idea whether I'll ever make it to New York. I have to say that I LOVE all of them, but the tree at Rockefeller Center has to be my fave!

OMG! I am SOOO jealous. I've always wanted to go to NYC in December. I'm going to start planning my trip right now! At least I'm going to start planning to plan to go right now. Thanks for all those great pictures!

An interesting bit of trivia - if you get back to Grand Central, stand in the middle and face Vanderbilt Ave. If you look up at the ceiling, you'll find a black rectangle. That black rectangle is what's left of the ceiling before it was restored.

Well, I believe all of your questions have been answered. Glad you are having such a great time and that the meeting went well!

Yeah the snow doesn't really "stick" with the city heat. This morning I walked out of my apt in Jersey to some slippery, crunchy ice and when I arrived in NY it just looks like it rained recently. I bet Central Park looks nice about now though!

Isn't New York just magical at Christmastime? So many neat things. I don't know how long you will be there but if you get a chance to go inside Macy's the Christmas display is amazing and the wooden YES wooden escalators are not to be missed - no one has those anymore. You just have to say you rode on them.Have fun!!Cherie

Sorry to do 2 posts but don't forget to go stand in the center of Times Square at night - Amazing. Also don't miss going into the 3 story Toys R Us in Times Square - you will wish your kids were with you (or not - haha) but you haven't lived until you have actually walked into a Barbie House! Cherie

Yes that is St Patricks, amd the New Yrok Public Library. Not sure what the Cool one is, but I think the Neat one is The American Radiator Building. Kind of hard to tell with just the top of the building. Great pictures and glad you enjoyed NYC. It is a GREAT place to visit especially this time of year.

The pennies are a million dollars in pennies. I am a dork thinking something like that is very cool. Kids all over the area collected pennies to make a difference. http://www.commoncents.org/go.cfm/583EE14B-3048-32DA-1876CC3FBD5CACBA

I am glad everything went well!! First time commenter- I love your stuff and can't wait for the book.

That building that looks like a library... looks like the museum of natural history. 'Course I've never been to New York and I'm only going from the movie Night at the Museum and it could have been that they used a different outside... but that's what it looks like to me!

Ok, I was skimming the pics until I saw garbage and died laughing. I think a lot of Chicagoans who go to NYC take pics of the garbage in piles on the street. Could you imagine that here?! It seems so foreign and odd to just see it piled up like that.

I loved NYC too, but only to visit. It seems you're having a great time.

Great pics! I was just there in NYC a few weeks ago. I'm jealous. St. Patrick's Cathedral is stunning. I stayed not far from there - to the east - in Midtown at a hotel called The Pod, which was aptly named and truly about the size of a pea pod.

So happy for you and the attention you are getting. Soak it up and make it last for the time when you have to come back to reality. My mom's side of the family are all New Yorkers, except for a few transplants to the other coast. It's a wonderful place to be around the holidays.

Good luck as you finish up the book. It looks like you have a great support group there. You look beautiful in the pic.

Those are great pictures!! I love seeing NYC from a "real" person's eyes!! That is one of the few places I have not been to that I am dying to go see! Especially at Christmas time! Thanks for letting us in! And LOL about the garbage selection! :) (It is surprising to see on the street though!)-Alice

One hundred million pennies for your thoughts on the latest display in New York City's Rockefeller Center.Silda Wall Spitzer, wife of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, joined hundreds of public school children on Monday to unveil a mass of US$1 million in pennies collected for charity. The display, called the Penny Harvest Field, includes an estimated 100 million pennies — plus a few nickels, dimes and quarters that slipped in by mistake.

The exhibit, 30-by-165 feet, as long as a city block, is the culmination of the nonprofit organization Common Cents' 17th annual Penny Harvest.

The national educational program is designed to teach children about their contributions to society. Hundreds of thousands of city students from more than 800 schools spent the weeks between Oct. 22 and Thanksgiving going door to door and collecting the pennies, which will be donated to organizations of their choice for causes such as protecting the environment and helping the elderly.

The exhibit was designed by architect James Polshek and will be on display in Rockefeller Center, near the famous Christmas tree, through the end of the year.

Hi Dawn,Glad you are enjoying NYC! One of my favorite cities - I remember saying to my friend - Let's go downtown - and she laughed, it is called the CITY!

And I hate to admit you are referring to me.... "For those of you who did know what I was talking about - you, like me, watch too much kid TV" I knew exactly the scene - plus the words by heart - Madagascar plays over and over on our DVD player in the car... GREAT DVD if anyone is looking for a good gift for Christmas - fun for all ages! Lots of great jokes that fly over our 3 year old! LOL

Have a safe trip home! And please let us know how your husband did without you!!!!

Looks like you are having fun! Mind me asking what your marketer's last name is in TN? What publishing company it will be through? I live in TN and work with a major publisher (I have a freelance contract with the company for various services). If there is a chance I could proofread or copyedit your book, that would be awesome!

Ok, too funny, as I was reading the part about Grand Central Station, we are watching Madagascar and they are currently at Grand Central Station. What beautiful pictures you took. I have only been reading your blog for a month or so, but am looking forward to your book to come out.

I had to LOL because seriously out of ALL THE DVDs in my house, Tukey chose MADAGASCAR this a.m. after my COOKIE exchange party last night. So to read about Madagascar and cookies in this post was really ironic to me.

Glad you had fun, glad you didn't get caught in a snow storm, glad you took pics of some cool buildings!

What a wonderful blog. The pictures bring me to tears - I lived there for 5 years and worked in Rockefeller Center. New York... where a wealthy person can live side by side with a hobo. It's unique and I love it in that respect.

I love New York, too! I have the same picture you took of the angels with the horns in Rockefeller Center in a scrapbook of a trip we took in 2001. I love that angle. Love the rest of your pic's, too.I didn't even see any spit-up on your nice dinner outfit in the pic. with all the dignitaries.Have a safe and eventful trip home ;-DKR

the library is the new york public library, which is kind of a big deal. thought by some to be the most beautiful building in new york city. if you have seen ghostbusters, at the end the characters come out of the lions there. it is a truly wonderful building and if you have a chance peek inside and check out the exhibits. it really is amazing.

the window is probably saks 5th avenue, because it is across from Rockefeller, and has pretty spectacular windows this time of year. i wouldn't go see them myself because Rockefeller center during the Christmas season is pretty brutal.

FYI, since you have requested we tell you the names of buildings, it's "Grand Central Terminal" not "Station." Technically, a station is where a train stops along it's way to it's terminal. It's sort of one of those red flags that screams NYC newbie. So, now you are a NYC pro!

Dawn, while in NYC, you should go to the site of the twin towers and pay a tribute. I once visited there and it's a real reality check. From what I understand, it's still there, the memorial, the wooden platform and all. You can't take pictures but it sure puts things in perspective and since you are there, why not see it all? Also, I suggest the full run down broadway... seeing all the sights, including late night with david letterman studio :)

The library lions, with their yearly wreaths, are called Patience & Fortitude, just an FYI from a Bronx girl lol. I don't think it was a ribbon around Rockefeller, but I know Cartier wraps a huge red ribbon around their building, with 2 big bows on each side. Saks also has some awesome window displays for Christmas too.Enjoy your trip here, it's the city a it's best.

Dawn,Thank you for the exciting photos (this flat-lander from FL can't keep her mouth closed 'cause of AWE! at the immenseness of NYC). I, too, am concerned about how your family is doing without you; since mine found a sheet of packing styrofoam and quickly shredded it into "snow" : it IS the WORST to clean up!!!!! SHOES: my favorite brand is Dansko for ultimate comfort. You already told us that you rarely step out of your Crocs. You must've left them home 'cause u were hangin' around special adults.? :) The airport story had me on the edge of my chair. Whew! ...Thanks for preparing us for the biggest travel season of the year with your story!!

Thanks Dawn! I am loving the pictures. I have never been to NY, so thanks for letting us live through you. I am glad you only got the red mark. (not that I am happy you hurt yourself) but I was thinking, "Oh no, what if Dawn starts cutting the publisher's steak!?!" Fondue was a wise choice. You look great! I agree with the post prior to mine. You look so grown up. ;o) Hope you enjoy it all and I hope you can take Hubby next time you go.

Love the picture of the Empire State Building in the fog. As far as the pennies, I actually know what they are..there was a news story on yahoo a day or so ago about them: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071211/ap_on_fe_st/odd100_million_pennies

Hi Dawn,So glad to see you are enjoying NYC. I was amazed at all the negative comments about New York that people left on your blog when you mentioned you would be making a trip there. I love the city. And to the person who thought Rockefeller Center is wrapped in a ribbon, I had the same thought at first, but if you look closely at the picture, you can see that they are green flags waving in the wind on tall flagpoles. Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip! Congrats to you Dawn!

Dawn,Thanks for sharing the pics. I was in NYC 21 years ago when I was a Nanny and I have a pic of St Patricks Cathedral but looking down on it because we were staying in the building that is in the background of your pic. How cool...Thank you. I am looking forward to your first book.. In the meantime, my friend gave me an Erma Bombeck book on tape to listen to while I wait for yours!Kind Regards,~LisaMother of 4 (if you count my husband!)

LOL love your experience in NY as a New Yorker myself it is great when people come into town and see NY in a different light.

The library is New York Public Library on 42nd streetish right by where Fashion Week is held twice a year for the annual fashion shows.

The church you seen was St. Patrick's which is right by Rockefeller Center if my memory serves me correct. That is where a lot of stars get married, like Tommy Mattiola and his new wife,*some spanish singer* firefighters, & police officers have there funeral when they are killed on the line of duty.

The pennies are for every NYC child had collected in an effort for a great charity.

Yes we do have a lot of garbage on the streets!

The window that you forgot is Saks Fifth Avenue's Christmas window. Did you see the snow flakes on the building?

Also did you see H&M which is right by the tree? That is the infamous store that once the doors opened up there was a line going down two city blocks! Nothing really that special but seems to be a NY attraction.

You really need to come back to NY and spend like a week here because you haven't seen nothing yet! You have to visit Bloomingdale's, Macy's in Herald Square, I am sure you seen Times Square, you should ride the Staten Island Ferry ( i dont know what the excitement is about that but again seems to be a huge tourist attraction) Chinatown ( you can get the latest bag for so cheap, you can scare your husband telling him that you got a Louis Vuitton bag while you were in NY)lol you should eat chinese food in Woohop-again a huge tourist attraction and great food. Little Italy- you can get the best pastries there & cappucino etc.

If you came about 7 years earlier you could of seen one of the most amazing buildings in your life, the twin towers and the view from there was incredible! *9-11 we will always remember * Oh and you would of loved Century 21 which is right across from the World Trade Center they have great shopping you can shop for all your kids, husband, yourself and the house without breaking your budget!

Dont worry when you are in the city next I will be glad to be your tour guide. Omg did you go to Central Park?? Your kids would definitely love the zoo there, oh and if you want to travel a little outward, the Bronx Zoo is even more amazing! Oh and the pizza in the city is nothing compared to the pizza in Brooklyn, either at Lenny & John's or Spomoni Gardens *sorry spelling might be wrong*

Love your blog and can't wait for the book!

Charna Mother of a 2 year old that has re-named terrible 2's.`Charnascarpati@hotmail.com

Hi Dawn, I don't post much but I just had to say that I love your NY pics! While visiting family in CT, we went last yr right after Christmas and it was a day I'll never forget! I loved Grand Central, St. Patricks, and Central Park! But man, did we do ALOT of walking (with a double stroller in tow and two toddlers).

I don't know what the pennies are for but I do know for me they mean someone I love is thinking of me. 98.9% of the time when I find one I also have a letter from my DBF (who lives out of state boo hoo). I never seem to find loose change when he's here. Imagine that.

When I find a dime or better the same day I find a penny I get a really GOOD letter.

Dawn, This is Jennifer in Nashville. Down here, you can "fetch" many things -- a child, a pail of water...heck, you can even teach your dog to fetch. Wish my dog could fetch my kids, but that's another story. I am saving some of my regional expressions for later use...like "fixin'" (as in, "We're fixin to go to lunch.")

I'll check in on your blog occasionally and try to contribute some perspective from your publisher -- might be fun.

Recently found your blog. I'm a fellow Chicago-suburbian. I see the picture of piles of trash and feel compelled to say that New Orleans is like that too. It was explained to me that New Orleans doesn't have the alleys that Chicago has to put their trash so they have to put it out on the curb for pick up. I wonder if NY is like that too?